FAQ

Why should we list our home for sale with you?

You should hire us for the same reason that hundreds of sellers use us year in and year out. They know that they can depend on us to get them the most money, in the shortest amount of time, with the fewest hassles and the least amount of risk.

Our No Risk or Obligation Home Marketing system offers benefits that the ordinary agent does not. Our program offers flexible commissions to put more money in your pocket, a client reward program when both buying and selling that actually rebates cash back to you, a cancel anytime policy, and more marketing power than any other agent in Orange County, San Diego or the Inland Empire. Not surpisingly, our listings sell for 2.4% more and in about 40% less time than the average agent. What’s 2.4% of your home’s value?

Every year we help hundreds of people buy and sell. The average agent handles around five sales a year. When hiring anyone to perform a job for you, experience should weigh heavily in that decision. Who really wants to be the surgeon's first patient?

Let's examine one of our program benefits; we allow you to cancel the listing at anytime. Most agents will not give the consumer this right. You might ask yourself why agents need to "lock you up" for four to six months. Why would they be afraid to give you the right to cancel? Our philosophy is that we would rather strive to earn your business every day. We are confident that we can provide a superior level of service and care. If we don't, we don't deserve your business. It is that simple. See our marketing page for more information on our listing program.

I heard that there are limited service agents who charge less. Why shouldn’t I hire the cheapest agent?

Everyone wants to get as good a deal as possible and net as much money as possible when selling. But if you save 1%-2% (which is typically what a discount broker will save you) on selling costs and then sell your home for 5%-10% less, obviously you haven’t saved anything. 1% disappears pretty quickly when you are negotiating the sale of a $500K+ piece of real estate.

Selling real estate is all about getting as much exposure as possible. The fact of the matter is we can sell your home for more. We have the track record we do because we are experts at pricing the property (using a specific supply-demand analysis prior to even looking for “comps”) and experts at creating the greatest amount of exposure of your property.

Sadly, there are many agents who need the deal (sometimes more than you do). The weakest negotiator in any transaction is the one who has to have the deal. We are in the fortunate position of having enough clients that any one deal won’t make us or break us. Therefore the negotiations are really about getting you the most money for your home. Period. If the offer doesn’t make sense, you can count on us to tell you so.

Why do you sell so many homes?

Due to our extensive radio and TV campaigns, more buyers and sellers are familiar with us than any other agent in Southern California. Additionally, experience, product knowledge, doing the little things right, effective marketing programs, and our skilled team all add up to positive results. Every field has people who, through their drive and passion, manage to excel.

Are you too busy to sell my home?

No. While we sell a lot of homes we sell them one at a time. The fact that we have a large staff means we have more time for our clients. Matt Battiata, the Broker and Lead Agent, has more time for our clients because he has a lot of help behind the scenes. Compare this with the agent who is trying to do everything themselves.

Why do your homes sell so fast ? Do you price them too low?

Absolutely not. We make it our business to know the market, so we can ensure we get the highest possible price for our sellers. Our homes typically sell for 2.4% more money and in significantly less time than the average agent because of the effective marketing we do. We accomplish this by first doing a supply/demand analysis in the immediate area for any home we consider marketing. All agents have access to the same market information. It is the evaluation of what that information means to the marketing of a home that matters. X-rays mean nothing until they are evaluated by a competent doctor. Similarly, knowing what the market is doing in any area affects both the marketing time and value. Factors like area, demand, condition, pricing, accessibility, and agent choice all affect a home's time on market.

Tell me about your marketing plan.

The exposure your home gets while listed with us is second to none. No other agent in Orange County, San Diego or the Inland Empire advertises their website via TV (the most effective type of advertising) as much as we do. We currently advertise on all the major networks in Southern California (NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, CW) as well as many different cable channels (MSNBC, FOX, CNN, HLN etc). These prominent ads create a high volume of contact both from buyers and sellers. Additionally, our unique "Trade Up" program dramatically broadens the spectrum of buyers we can sell your home to and alleviates the problem of having to accept a contingent offer. Our signs throughout San Diego connect us with buyers in all price ranges and areas. Our ads and signs also reference our website, resulting in additional contact. Here buyers can view our "featured homes" in addition to shopping the broader market. Our presence on Realtor.com insures maximum property exposure to buyers throughout the country, as well as the dozen or so other websites we own. Professional photography and video also increase the attention we attract to our homes. Additionally, we do mailings in excess of 1,000,000 per year prospecting to potential clients. Another important link is our marketing to the agent community. Remember, there are over 50,000 agents we want to think of us first when preparing to show properties to their buyers.

What is your “Guaranteed Sale Program”?

Once you are out of the first time buyer price range, everyone is faced with the dilemma of whether to buy first or sell first. . Either way is tricky, because you could end up owning 2 homes or none at all. In addition, most sellers will not take a contingent offer. Our Guaranteed Sale Program solves this problem. We guarantee your home sold, in under 60 days, or we’ll buy it ourselves. That way our clients can go out and shop for their next home without worrying about whether their home will sell or not. Call for details on this exciting program.

If we list with you, will my home be on the internet?

Absolutely! All of our yard signs, as well as our TV and radio ads prominently feature our website address. No other local agent offers that benefit. Our media promotion drives thousands of buyers to view homes on our website. Your home will also be prominently featured on Realtor.com, the number one real estate website in the world, as well as Zillow, Trulia, Google, eHomes, Yahoo, just to name a few. In addition, to increase buyer interest in our properties we’ve secured featured homes positions. Per Realtor.com our listings are viewed twenty times as often as a regular listing on Realtor.com. According to the National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, over 70% of home buyers used the internet when starting their home search process.

If we list with you, will we be on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS)?

Again, absolutely! Any agent who does not place your home on MLS is doing you a huge disservice. With over 50,000 agents across Orange County, San Diego and the Inland Empire , it is important to tap in to that agent base of buyers. In addition, we feature our listings across 3 MLS systems: San Diego (SANDICOR), Orange County (OCAR) & The Inland Empire MLS (CRMLS).

Why should I use a team vs. a single agent?

Because times have changed. No one agent can be everywhere at the same time. Let's suppose an agent has a relocation buyer in town. For three or four days they have to be with just that one buyer, a dream scenario for the agent, but not so for you. They are unavailable to show your home, they are unavailable to get feedback on showings, they are unavailable to negotiate contracts or inspection reports, and so on. Also, most agents are either great at people skills or great at paperwork. Rarely will they excel at both. Unfortunately, today's real estate marketplace demands that the agent possess all of these skills.

Under a team scenario such as ours, we have specialists. We have Buyer’s Agents who just work with buyers. We have 2 full-time Listing Managers whose main job is to keep you informed of activity and feedback on showings. We have a Marketing Manager who designs and tracks all of our marketing pieces. We have a full-time Office Administrator along with two full time Transaction Managers to handle all the details of the transaction. We have a Team Courier for getting documents out to our clients and prospective clients. We have a Team Stager who prepares all of our homes for sale prior to photos and video. All are licensed Realtors. Each is an expert at that specific job. Simply, we can and do provide a higher level of service to our clients than most agents can even conceive of providing. Imagine that you're a quarterback of a football team. Would you rather have 1 player on your team or the power of 12 that you have with our team?

Shouldn’t I pick an “area specialist” to sell my home?

There are agents who focus primarily in one geographic area or neighborhood. But buyers come from all over, and usually don't come from within the neighborhood. So a neighborhood specialist usually just means a "listing agent". Years ago, the real estate business was successfully composed of lots of neighborhood agents, who usually lived in the neighborhood, listed homes in the neighborhood and did very little marketing beyond flyers and open houses. But the internet and mass media broadcast advertising have changed the real estate business. No matter what you're selling, and real estate is no different, you want as much exposure as possible. The Battiata Real Estate Group does more marketing in a single month than most agents do in an entire year. That's why we sell more homes in less time for more money than virtually any other agent in Southern California.

Once I have reviewed your No Risk or Obligation Listing package, then what?

Contact our office by email or phone, and we will set up an appointment to meet with you. We will tour your home, go over recent market activity in your area to educate you on values, tell you exactly what we will do to market your home, and make recommendations for maximizing your profit and increasing your speed of sale.

How long does it take to get my home on the market?

Once we have a signed listing agreement and a spare key, we can have your home on the market within 24 hours. However, it usually takes a day or two for the sign company to professionally install the sign.

How do you set the price for my home?

We will meet with you to review a complete market analysis of your home, evaluate supply and demand for the area, and examine the property condition. At that point, we can guide you to the correct range of pricing.

I'm out of town. Can you handle the transaction for me or will I need to come back to town?

We can take care of all the details from start to finish without you needing to come to town. We have handled sales with clients living as far away as Australia and the Middle East . We simply need a key and your fax number to get started.

I need to sell my home right away. Will you buy it?

We offer, in addition to our traditional home selling service and Trade Up Program, a guarantee buyout program. If your property qualifies, we can purchase it and close it in less than 10 days. However, it is rarely in your best interest financially to select that path. We typically can obtain up to 20% more value for your home if we put it on the open market. So the guarantee buyout is really for people for whom time is more important than money. Just contact us and we will show you the best path for your particular circumstances.

My home needs some repairs. Do you know any service people that can help?

We have a number of service people whom we have used in the past and are happy to recommend to you through our concierge program. Simply contact our office and ask about our concierge program.

I don't have any money to fix up my home. Can you still sell it in its current condition?

Absolutely! Just like any home, we will simply evaluate the condition issues, supply/demand in the neighborhood, and pricing relative to those factors.

How long is your listing agreement for?

For ease of paperwork, we typically use a six month period. But remember, unlike most agents, you are free to cancel anytime.

I am currently listed with another agent and want to cancel. Can you get me out of my listing agreement with them?

Unfortunately, if you signed a listing agreement with another agent, you are bound by that agreement. You certainly can approach the broker or agent to address your unresolved issues, and some agents may let you out of your agreement early. However, our "cancel anytime" policy towards listings does not give us the authority to cancel other agents listings.

What if my plans change and I don't need to sell my house?

You may cancel your listing at anytime.

Will you be representing me or the buyer?

We always represent the seller on any home we have listed for sale, which means our objective is to get you the most amount of money and the best terms possible. The real question is whether we will be representing the buyer as well. In the event that we have a buyer for your home, it would fall in the category of "Dual Agency". In that scenario, unless you have instructed us in writing otherwise, The Battiata Real Estate Group would represent both parties.

What is “Staging”?

Staging is preparing your home for sale so that it shows well to potential buyers. We have a professional accredited Interior Design Stager on staff so that we can make your home look as appealing as possible to a buyer. Studies show that a staged home sells for significantly more than one that has not been staged. This is especially true in San Diego where we have so much new construction - buyers are used to looking at model homes.

Is there a charge for Staging?

No, there is no charge for this.

Who will take the pictures of my home?

Great question! Unlike some agents who click a few dark or blurry pictures of your home, we use one of the top real estate photographers in Southern California on all of our listings. Buyers and agents will decide whether to view your home in many cases based on the pictures. Remember, no matter what you are selling, you want the product presented in the best light possible.

Will you make a flyer for my house?

Yes. We prepare a high quality, multiple photo, full color flyer on your home. We employ the use of a professional photographer on all of our listings. However, unlike most agents, we do not place flyers outside the home in a "take one" box. Statistically, flyers out front discourage buyers from calling. If we cannot directly speak to the buyer, it is nearly impossible to sell them your home. We always place the flyer inside the home to highlight the home's unique features and as a visual reminder for the buyer.

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